April 9, 2026

An Oklahoma principal who was shot in the leg while tackling a school shooter on Tuesday was hailed a hero for stopping the gunman and preventing a worse tragedy, officials said.

Pauls Valley High School Principal Kirk Moore and other staff spotted the gunman, later identified as 20-year-old former student Victor Hawkins, and immediately jumped into action to subdue him, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI).

 

An Oklahoma principal is being hailed as a hero after he was shot in the leg while tackling a gunman inside Pauls Valley High School, helping stop what officials say could have been a far worse bloodbath. Kirk Moore and other staff confronted the armed former student, identified as 20-year-old Victor Hawkins, as he entered the school and fired multiple rounds — but only Moore was hit, authorities said. He was airlifted to the hospital in stable condition, while the fast, violent response may have kept the shooting from turning deadly on a much larger scale.

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